Guided Wildlife Walk at Victory Basin Wildlife Management Area on May 16

VICTORY,
Vt. – Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department and Northeast Kingdom Audubon are
excited to partner on a birding and wildlife-viewing tour at Victory Basin
Wildlife Management Area on May 16. Doug Morin, a wildlife biologist with Fish
& Wildlife, and Tom Berriman, an experienced birder with Northeast Kingdom
Audubon, will co-lead this wildlife-based exploration of a truly unique part of
Vermont.

“We’ll
focus on finding the birds of Victory Basin WMA – both the exciting new
arrivals of spring migrants, and some of the year-round residents, including
rare boreal species,” said Morin. “We’ll also keep eye out for trees,
flowers, tracks, and any other curiosities we find along the way. Victory Basin
is a vast lowland boreal forest that is common in northern Canada but rare here
in Vermont, allowing visitors to feel like they’ve stepped into another world.
We have a chance of spotting boreal wildlife such as gray jays, rusty
blackbirds, snowshoe hare, and moose.”

Two
sessions will be offered on May 16: one from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and a
second from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Participants are asked to bring
binoculars and to wear appropriate clothing for being outdoors, including
rain-proof layers. Waterproof boots are highly recommended, and spotting
scopes and field guides are welcome. Participants should also be able to walk
1-2 miles at a relaxed pace over a relatively flat trail.

The
public can register for the event by visiting bit.ly/VTFWbirding.
Admission is free and is limited to the first 14 people who sign up for each
session. Questions may be directed to Doug Morin at doug.morin@vermont.gov.

Victory
Basin is one of 93 wildlife management areas owned and managed by the Vermont
Fish & Wildlife Department for wildlife-based recreation such as hunting,
fishing, and wildlife watching. These lands are purchased and managed in
part using funds from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Wildlife Restoration
Program using excise taxes on hunting and shooting equipment.

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